Sausage Calculation ~ Help with Sodium Calculation

[thirdeye]

I'm trying to do a sodium comparison between a store bought sausage and a homemade sausage but I'd like a double check on the milligram-to-percent math.

• I don't know what percentage of salt is used in the store bought sausage.
• The store bought label shows 750mg of sodium in a 90 gram link.
• At 90 grams each, there are 11.11 links in 1 kilogram of sausage.
• 11.11 links X 750 mg sodium = 8,332.5 mg of sodium in one kilogram of sausage.
• Using a sodium converter on the Heart Foundation site: 8,332.5 mg of sodium = 20.8 g of salt in one kg of sausage.
• 20.8 g of salt in one kilogram means the salt percentage is 2.08%

The next calculation to compare the sausage links

• My homemade sausage is 1.5% salt (I use 15 grams per kilogram of meat)
• Using the same converter: 1.5% salt = 6,000mg of salt.
• 6,000 mg of salt ÷ 11.11 links per kilogram of sausage = 540mg of sodium in a 90 gram link.
• This means a homemade link (at 90 grams each) has 210mg less sodium than the store bought link

Does this make sense??

 

[johnnyb54]

Does this make sense??

To me it makes sense. Most of the processed foods we buy commercially has a ton of salt in it. Your homemade sausage uses 1.5% but I’ve seen some homemade recipes that go up to 2%. The higher salt content in the store bought sausages account for the flavor profile that the majority of Americans like but know is not good for them. Because of the higher salt flavor profile manufacturers can get away with using lesser quality of meat so even though the flavor may be there the quality is not. That is my own opinion but I do think you are spot on.

AKA Retired RailRoader

 

[sawhorseray]

Make sense to me too Eye. Stuff mass produced and sold in stores and restaurants is most often loaded with salt just for the flavor. Look at In-N-Out burger, almost poisoned with salt, folks love them. RAY

 

[olaf]

I would think there would be some sodium naturally in the meat. I have a whole chicken minimally processed, the label states it contains 55mg per 112g serving. My math may be wrong but that's about .12%.

 

[SmokyMose]

I didn't struggle through the math but your process made sense.

 

[SmokyMose]

I would think there would be some sodium naturally in the meat. I have a whole chicken minimally processed, the label states it contains 55mg per 112g serving. My math may be wrong but that's about .12%.

The last couple of whole chickens I've gotten were packaged in a bit of liquid. I wonder if that's some sort of brine?

 

[indaswamp]

Math looks correct to me....I'm surprised the commercial stuff only had 2% salt. Was this a fresh or a smoked sausage? Smoked will have about 0.5% more salt on avg.....

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm trying to do a sodium comparison between a store bought sausage and a homemade sausage but I'd like a double check on the milligram-to-percent math.

• I don't know what percentage of salt is used in the store bought sausage.
• The store bought label shows 750mg of sodium in a 90 gram link.
• At 90 grams each, there are 11.11 links in 1 kilogram of sausage.
• 11.11 links X 750 mg sodium = 8,332.5 mg of sodium in one kilogram of sausage.
• Using a sodium converter on the Heart Foundation site: 8,332.5 mg of sodium = 20.8 g of salt in one kg of sausage.
• 20.8 g of salt in one kilogram means the salt percentage is 2.08%

The next calculation to compare the sausage links

• My homemade sausage is 1.5% salt (I use 15 grams per kilogram of meat)
• Using the same converter: 1.5% salt = 6,000mg of salt.
• 6,000 mg of salt ÷ 11.11 links per kilogram of sausage = 540mg of sodium in a 90 gram link.
• This means a homemade link (at 90 grams each) has 210mg less sodium than the store bought link

Does this make sense??

Looks right to me. Between 2-3% salt is general commercial 2.5% being kinda normal. So they are in there on the low side. Must taste pretty good.

 

[tallbm]

At a glance the math seems fine.
I didn't dig deeper because I know 2% for sausage is usually about my go to. My guess is that before water and casing weight is added I'm hitting about 1.88% total weight in salt but I measure at 2% of meat and fat weight alone. I also have cure in there as well for smoked sausage so again I feel I'm likely between 1.88-2% is my guess and it works like a charm for me.

 

[SmokinEdge]

At a glance the math seems fine.
I didn't dig deeper because I know 2% for sausage is usually about my go to. My guess is that before water and casing weight is added I'm hitting about 1.88% total weight in salt but I measure at 2% of meat and fat weight alone. I also have cure in there as well for smoked sausage so again between 1.88-2% is my guess and it works like a charm for me.

I always run 1.5% salt then add 0.25% cure #1 and we are at 1.75% total salt. What I have done for many decades. We like it.

 

[tallbm]

I always run 1.5% salt then add 0.25% cure #1 and we are at 1.75% total salt. What I have done for many decades. We like it.

Yeah that sounds like the ticket. I find with fish and chicken I like about 1.8% but pork and beef I like 2% salt.

 

[thirdeye]

To me it makes sense. Most of the processed foods we buy commercially has a ton of salt in it. Your homemade sausage uses 1.5% but I’ve seen some homemade recipes that go up to 2%. The higher salt content in the store bought sausages account for the flavor profile that the majority of Americans like but know is not good for them. Because of the higher salt flavor profile manufacturers can get away with using lesser quality of meat so even though the flavor may be there the quality is not. That is my own opinion but I do think you are spot on.

AKA Retired RailRoader

Hey John, how you doin' man? Always good to hear from one of the original ThirdHander's. Glad our paths crossed again.

The last couple of whole chickens I've gotten were packaged in a bit of liquid. I wonder if that's some sort of brine?

The rotisserie chickens from Costco and Sam's are both high in sodium. Sam's mentions a "marinade" and also Lawrey's seasoning.... but I bet it's an injectable brine of sorts.

Math looks correct to me....I'm surprised the commercial stuff only had 2% salt. Was this a fresh or a smoked sausage? Smoked will have about 0.5% more salt on avg.....

It was a fresh British Banger sausage from a company in Arizona. They were sold in the meat case and we tried two and made some Bangers and Mash last night. Then went back for more because the manager said they were seasonal. I'm very picky with sources for sausage and these are quite good. It was odd because they were not salty at all, but the milligrams was in the range where I can detect salt in other sausage formulations.... which sparked by inquiry to understand the numbers. I think I'll reverse engineer the recipe, using 1.5% salt numbers.

 

[poacherjoe]

Not to change the subject but we all love what we do and it tastes so good we continue to make more and eat more but we also know that processed meats and nitrate etc are not healthy for us yet we continue to consume it. Please explain this problem to me?? I would love to develop a healthy alternative that is low salt etc but the flavor wouldn't be the same.

 

[thirdeye]

Not to change the subject but we all love what we do and it tastes so good we continue to make more and eat more but we also know that processed meats and nitrate etc are not healthy for us yet we continue to consume it. Please explain this problem to me?? I would love to develop a healthy alternative that is low salt etc but the flavor wouldn't be the same.

At one point in time there was a global problem because of the slipshod use of curing agents, improper techniques etc. Some regulatory agencies stepped in and created guidelines based on scientific findings which gave us a safe 'baseline' to develop procedures. Sometime later people took that information and made changes that were within the 'guidelines'..... Maybe lowering the salt, maybe lessening the nitrates and nitrites to levels near the minimums. So, the bottom line is.... you can make changes within the limits of safety to better suit your expectations. Just be responsible.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Interesting findings. Commercially, you can make up for an inferior meat quality by adding a lot of Salt, Sugar and Spices.

The last couple of whole chickens I've gotten were packaged in a bit of liquid. I wonder if that's some sort of brine?

Next time, take look at the label. It may be in small print but will say, " Enhanced with __% Broth. " This means Injected with flavored Salt Water, essentially a Brine.
If the label says, " All Natural ", there is nothing added...JJ

 

[daveomak]

Na = Sodium = 22.95.. Cl = Chlorine = 35.45 ... Atomic weights.... add the 2 for salt' atomic weight.... 22.95/58.45 x 100 = 39.26% Sodium in a salt molecule or per 100 grams of salt = 39 grams